Germany's leader under huge pressure as far-right AfD gains steam, but could he be forced out?
- By Anna Noryskiewicz September 18, 2026 / 9:32 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Berlin — German leader Friedrich Merz's position is under threat as the far-right surges in popularity and support for his own center-right party tanks.
- The situation is so serious that he canceled a planned trip to New York next week to represent his country at the United Nations General Assembly.
- Merz, a conservative, is facing tremendous pressure in the wake of the far-right AfD's landslide state election victory in Saxony-Anhalt last week.
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- By Anna Noryskiewicz September 18, 2026 / 9:32 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Berlin — German leader Friedrich Merz's position is under threat as the far-right surges in popularity and support for his own center-right party tanks.
- The situation is so serious that he canceled a planned trip to New York next week to represent his country at the United Nations General Assembly.
- Merz, a conservative, is facing tremendous pressure in the wake of the far-right AfD's landslide state election victory in Saxony-Anhalt last week.
Sources: CBS News